Alcaraz wins his first Cincinnati Masters 1000 after Sinner retires with injury

In an unanticipated denouement of their long-awaited battle, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz was proclaimed Cincinnati Masters 1000 champion for the first time Monday after Italian Jannik Sinner retired in the final.

Days before the start of the U.S. Open, the Cincinnati finals also produced a new women's champion, Poland's Iga Swiatek, who beat Italy's Jasmine Paolini.

Although it was unusually played on a Monday, the tennis world was rubbing its hands with the fourth final of the year between Alcaraz and Sinner, just 36 days after the Italian prevailed for the Wimbledon title.

The duel between the two current tennis stars came to an abrupt end, however, when Alcaraz dominated 5-0 in the first set.

Sinner then announced his retirement after just 23 minutes on the court, in which he looked completely discomposed under the strong heat and humidity in Cincinnati (Ohio).

The world number one, empty of power in the racquet and legs, was an unrecognizable version of himself from the first ball. 

In the first game, he gave up his serve in white, and in less than 13 minutes, he was already 3-0 down, accumulating unforced errors at top speed.

After receiving the third break, Sinner asked for medical attention, and the chair umpire informed the audience of his retirement due to "illness."

"I'm sorry, guys, I can't. I've been trying, but I can't. I feel sick. I can't move; I feel like I'm going to collapse. I'm sorry for the fans," the Italian told the supervisor.

"Take good care of yourself; it's the most important thing," Alcaraz immediately told him when he went to comfort his top rival. 

After a few minutes sitting with a stricken face, Sinner apologized to the audience from the stage at the awards ceremony.

"I'm very sorry to disappoint you," said the world number one, who was trying to become the first to repeat triumph in Cincinnati since Roger Federer in 2015.

"Since yesterday, I didn't feel good. I thought it would get better during the match, but it got worse. I tried to play and make even a small match, but I couldn't do more," he lamented.

"As Jannik said, it's not the way I want to win matches and tournaments," Alcaraz replied from the stand.

"I'm sorry; I understand how you feel now," he said. "You are a true champion, and from these situations you will come back stronger, as you always do."

Ready for doubles with Raducanu

The world number two added the Cincinnati trophy to his exuberant palmarès, which now boasts a total of 22 ATP titles, two years after falling in a memorable final to Novak Djokovic.

At 22, Alcaraz is the second youngest tennis player to win eight Masters 1000 titles, behind compatriot Rafael Nadal.

Against Sinner, the only player who can currently overshadow him, the Spaniard won the finals of the Rome Masters 1000 and Roland Garros.

The Italian, however, was coming in with the momentum of July's Wimbledon triumph and unbeaten in his last 26 matches played on fast courts.

His checkered defeat on Monday puts him at serious risk of losing the ATP No. 1 ranking to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open, where the Italian defends the title starting Sunday.

His physical problems also reinforce doubts as to whether he will participate in the lucrative new mixed doubles format at the US Open, which kicks off on Tuesday morning in New York.

Alcaraz, on the other hand, confirmed his presence to compete alongside Britain's Emma Raducanu, one of the pairs that has generated the most expectation.

"Playing tomorrow is not the best, but I love this tournament," the Spaniard confirmed at the press conference. "It will be something new for me, which I love, and I'm going to have a lot of fun playing with Emma."

Swiatek's first win

The 12,000 fans in Cincinnati did enjoy a competitive women's final, settled with Iga Swiatek winning 7-5, 6-4.

The reigning Wimbledon champion prevailed in a hard-fought duel that registered up to 10 breaks. Swiatek herself was the first to surrender her serve in the opening game but was able to come back from a 3-0 deficit in the first set to win her first Cincinnati crown on the back of her more reliable serve.

The Pole, who has been recovering her best level in recent months, added an eleventh WTA 1000 title to her trophy cabinet, her first since May 2024 in Rome.

At the age of 24, the Warsaw jewel is only surpassed in number of WTA 1000 titles by Serena Williams, who amassed 13 in her legendary career.

With this triumph, Swiatek unseats Coco Gauff from second place in the WTA and advances on her way back to the top of the circuit, which was snatched from her by Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka at the end of last year.